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Warren County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Warren County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 199 flood losses here since 2016, 2% of them in buildings with basements. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Warren County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 18.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.0% |
| Mapped soil | 395,300 acres |
How we count · survey areas MS149 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 21% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 19% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 19% of Warren County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 49% of Warren County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.58 in, 13.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.02 in.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
199 flood losses since 2016, $5.5 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 123. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 2% basements, 40% slabs, 13% crawl spaces, 45% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 30 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 29 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 123 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.58 in (-13.44) |
| 2025 | 50.80 in (-6.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 76.20 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 32.77 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TALLULAH (20 mi away) | 18.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,566 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $156,400 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Parish, LA | 23 mi | 72% | 89% |
| Hinds County, MS | 23 mi | 2% | 65% |
| Claiborne County, MS | 27 mi | 1% | 35% |
| Issaquena County, MS | 29 mi | 69% | 84% |
| East Carroll Parish, LA | 34 mi | 56% | 83% |
| Sharkey County, MS | 37 mi | 79% | 96% |
| Tensas Parish, LA | 38 mi | 75% | 89% |
| Yazoo County, MS | 39 mi | 23% | 71% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status